EPA Publishes Final PFAS Aquatic Life Criteria and Benchmarks

On October 7, EPA published final Clean Water Act (CWA) aquatic life criteria and benchmarks for ten PFAS compounds. States may consider using (but are not required to use) them to develop CWA water quality standards that inform the implementation of CWA programs, such as wastewater and industrial discharge permits, to help protect fish and other aquatic life. Water quality criteria are based on data and scientific judgments about the relationship between pollutant concentrations and potential environmental effects. Benchmarks are developed to protect aquatic life from short-term exposures when there is not enough data on the pollutants to recommend water quality criteria. The published criteria and benchmarks in this announcement include:

• Criteria and Benchmarks for PFOA and PFOS: Final Recommended Freshwater Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria and Acute Saltwater Aquatic Life Benchmarks.
• Benchmarks for Eight PFAS: Acute Freshwater Aquatic Life Benchmarks for eight PFAS (PFBA, PFHxA, PFNA, PFDA, PFBS, PFHxS, 8:2 FTUCA, and 7:3 FTCA).

For more information, read the Federal Register Notice and visit EPA’s website.